This invention relates to containers, particularly a container which, in use, can assume two positionsxe2x80x94a first position for receiving, displaying, or dispensing the contents of the container; and a second position for enclosing the contents of the container. The container may be disposable or reusable.
Disposable containers are well known in the art. Disposable containers include common packages, shipping containers, cartons, paper plates, clam shells, bags, etc.
Many attempts have been made in the art to make more useful low cost containers. In particular, the art has paid considerable attention to disposable containers made of paperboard, plastic, and other low cost materials. Such containers are useful for various combinations of receiving, organizing, containing, transporting, storing, displaying, and dispensing products.
One such group of containers well known in the art is generally referred as folding cartons. A folding carton is typically made from a single blank which is cut and scored so as to have multiple hingedly connected panels. Upon folding, the panels form a tetrahedron shaped container, or a container having one of the other shapes known in the art. Exemplary art includes U.S. Pat. No. 4,289,268, issued Sep. 15, 1981 to Paige; U.S. Pat. No. 4,3755,258, issued Mar. 1, 1983 to Crayne et al., the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference; U.S. Pat. No. 4,448,308, issued May 15, 1984 to Carver U.S. Pat. No. 5,042,715, issued Aug. 27, 1991 to McNeill; U.S. Pat. No. 5,143,210, issued Sep. 1, 1992 to Warwick et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,275,331, issued Jan. 4, 1994 to Chung-Piao. However, all of these attempts in the art require intricate patterns, high tolerance cutting, and assembly with adhesives or other bonding means to be successful.
The art has also paid considerable attention to making, molding, and deforming containers out of a single plane, typically for food use. In this latter process a blank is provided. The blank may have radial grooves at its peripheral region. The blank is inserted between mating dies and pressed. The radial grooves provide for accumulation of the material deformed by the dies. Exemplary art includes U.S. Pat. No. 3,033,434, issued May 8, 1962 to Carson; U.S. Pat. No. 4,026,458, issued May 31, 1977 to Morris et al., the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference; U.S. Pat. No. 4,606,496, issued Aug. 19, 1986 to Marx et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,609,140, issued Sep. 2, 1986 to van Handel et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,721,500, issued Jan. 26, 1988 to van Handel et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,230,939, issued Jul. 27, 1993 to Baum; U.S. Pat. No. 5,326,020, issued Jul. 5, 1994 to Cheshire et al. However, none of these attempts in the art provide a way to use the articles described therein in a configuration other than that originally provided. Typically the articles, such as food containers, are provided in a generally open configuration with sloped side walls. The sloped side walls reduce the occurrences of food spilling from the food container.
Often the user would enjoy the convenience of a container which can be open to receive, display, or dispense products. At other times, the user would appreciate a container which can cover or otherwise enclose products. Covering or enclosing the product is useful in a variety of situations. Typically, these situations include the storage or transport of a product. One skilled in the art could imagine other uses and benefits. For example, when the container is used as a food container if the food is to be cooked (or even heated) in a microwave oven, covering, or preferably enclosing, the food reduces splattering and controls moisture loss. The user may wish to cover the food to keep it warm during the time between cooking and eating. The user may also wish to cover the food while transporting it, as may occur when food is prepared and/or served at a first location and eaten at a second location.
One attempt in the art to provide such conveniences is the clam shell. A clam shell is a container and lid hingedly connected together. The container and lid mating surfaces are preferably symmetric about the hinge line and may have a locking mechanism to hold the lid/container combination in the closed position. Clam shells are typically used in fast food restaurants for serving hamburgers, chicken nuggets, etc. However, the use of clam shells has drawbacks. For example, clam shells are typically small, approximating the size of a hamburger. If one wishes to have an entire plate of food, the clam shell would have to be sized to accommodate. This would require a food container and lid of equal size, so that the lid could cover the food. However, this arrangement represents wasted material. Typically one does not need or wish to cover the entire plate of food at once. For example, certain foods may later be added to the food container without heating. The full sized lid/container combination of the clam shell is unnecessary. Exemplary clam shells are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,778,439, issued Oct. 18, 1988 to Alexander; U.S. Pat. No. 5,205,476, issued Apr. 27, 1993 to Sorenson; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,577,989, issued Nov. 29, 1996 to Neary, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.
This invention provides a container which can be used in two different positions. The container can be used in a first open position for receiving, displaying, or dispensing product, and a second closed position for covering or enclosing the product. Finally, the container is stable in two different positions.